


Heartfelt Moments

by gracedameron



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Albert Attempts Parenting: the fic, Baby Fic, Dad!Albert, Family Fluff, Gen, I'm obsessed with Annie DaSilva and now you know why, fits in the Summer Fic universe, the story of how Albert DaSilva becomes a single dad, this is mostly about Albert but I tagged the couples bc they're in it too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 01:49:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15159761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracedameron/pseuds/gracedameron
Summary: some heartfelt moments from Albert's first year of being a father.





	Heartfelt Moments

**Author's Note:**

> so I realized that we introduced Annie in Summertime Feelin' without explanation, so here's the explanation!!

*

Albert sat back on the picnic blanket and stretched his legs out, rolling his ankles. He glanced to Race next to him, eyeglasses sliding off his nose as he typed at his laptop, Spot massaging his shoulders as he knelt next to him. 

“You’re breakin’ even, Al,” Race said, pushing his glasses up. “You’re havin’ a real good quarter. Should be able ta hire the two more teachers ya want.” 

Albert grinned. “Yeah?”

Race nodded, still working the accounting program. “Yeah, I’ll double check these, but you’ve got room for two more salaries.”

“Ah, and your bonus for doin’ all this for me  _ an’ _ teachin’?” Albert teased and Race rolled his eyes.

“Nah, ya know I ain’t gonna take ya money,” he said with a smirk. “Blood money. You just like me for my accountin’ skills.”

Albert snorted. “True, true.” 

Katherine looked over to Albert from where she was lying with her head in Jack’s lap as they watched their kids running around the open field of Central Park in front of them. 

“We’re really looking forward to your recital, Albert,” She said, “Lucy’s been bouncing with excitement, even though we tried to explain to her that she  _ has _ to wear the ballet slippers instead of cowgirl boots.”

“Ah yes, our damn required uniform,” he laughed. “Speakin’ of, maybe you guys oughta consider puttin’ Luce in hip hop next year, yeah? More her style than ballet, I think.” 

Race snorted, and Jack shot him a look. 

“Are ya makin’ fun of my angel, Anthony?” 

Race laughed. “Jackie, I love ya angel like she’s my own but I’s taught her ballet class an’ she’s got the grace of Spotty on the dance floor.”

“Hey!” Spot squeezed Race’s shoulders. “Take that back. ‘m a fine dancer an’ you know it.”

“Mmm,” Race smirked, “Only ‘cuz I taught ya everythin’ ya know.” 

Spot couldn’t argue with that, rolling his eyes and huffing in mock annoyance. Jack snorted, giving up his argument as well.

“Speakin’a angels,” Race said, sliding his laptop off his lap and over to Albert as Brooklyn came barrelling over to him, tackling him in a hug. Race laughed, lifting Brooklyn in the air, making her scream with joy before he tucked her in his arms tight and sat her on his lap. 

“Hello Miss Bee!” he said to his daughter with a grin, “You havin’ fun wit’ ya cousins over there?” 

Brooklyn wiped her messy curls from her eyes and nodded. “Yep!! Just wan’ a hug!” 

Race smiled, squeezing his arms tight around the little girl, not caring if she was sweaty from running around. When he let her go Brooklyn hopped off his lap and wrapped her arms around Spot’s legs, and he laughed, fluffing her curls. 

“Go on an’ keep playin’,  _ Mami _ ,” he told her, “Me an’ Papa are watchin’ ya.”

“‘m gonna do a cartwheel!” Brooklyn announced, taking off in a run again. “LUCY!” she cried, narrowly missing slamming into her best friend as they both ran toward each other at top speed, “C’MON!” 

“Oof,” Jack mumbed, “That was close.” 

“Ain’t the first time they’d knock heads,” Spot teased, “Good thing all ya kids got ya thick skull, Jackie.” 

Jack laughed, and Katherine grinned at her friend. 

“What’d they get from me?” Katherine asked, “Since we’re all in agreement about Jack’s skull.”

“I hate all of ya.”

“Def’nately ya good looks an’ sharp wit, Kathy,” Race said, “Right Al?” 

Albert blinked, snapping back to the moment, looking between his friends. “What?”

“Kelly kids got Kath’s looks an’ wit.”

“Oh. Yeah, for sure.” 

“You okay?” Spot asked, everyone looking to Albert with concern. His eyes were fixed ahead on the kids, Corey, Pete, Lucy and Brooklyn all engaged in an intense game of tag. 

“Yeah.” Albert said absently. He couldn’t tear his eyes from the kids, his nieces and nephews, who he all loved dearly. He spent his days teaching kids. He  _ loved _ kids. He always had. And he was about to be a father. In two short months, a child  _ he  _ fathered would come into the world, and be sent away to someone else. Not for the first time, he questioned whether or not he and Marissa were making the right decision. Through all their arguments and disagreements, they both agreed that they weren’t ready to be parents. 

But why wasn’t he? He could run his studio and raise a kid at the same time. He’d buy...diapers, and a crib, and some onesies. Maybe Marissa wasn’t ready, maybe she wanted to go back to her life and career and forget that this ever happened. Maybe she wasn’t ready to take responsibility for a baby, but Albert was. He was ready, he already loved the baby so much, so much he was willing to give her to someone else. But he didn’t think he could do that now.

He wanted the tackle hugs and “I love you”s. He wanted to chase kids around and watch them laugh and smile. He wanted to be a dad.

“Al?” Race asked, reaching a hand over to Albert’s shoulder. “What’s up, man?”

Albert blinked, swallowing his rising emotion as he looked away from the kids and down at his hands in his lap, thinking hard. He looked back up, meeting Race’s eyes. 

“I want to be a dad,” he said, “I want to keep her. The baby. My baby.”

“You do?” Katherine asked, eyes wide with surprise as she sat up from Jack’s lap. 

“I do.”

“Ain’t Marissa due soon?” Jack asked.

“Two months.”

“I thought you guys were givin’ her up for adoption?” Race asked, and Albert nodded. 

“Yeah. That was the plan but...” he looked back to the kids longingly. “I can’t do it, Race. I can’t. I can’t give her away.”

Spot smiled a little, glancing to Jack, who smiled too. 

Albert looked to Spot desperately. “How do I get outta it? Legally? I wanna keep her, I wanna get custody. We already signed contracts wit’ the adoption agency but how do I get outta it?”

Spot pulled out his phone. “I’m gonna put ya in contact wit’ one of our family lawyers, he’s got more info on this than me, but as the biological parent ya got rights above anyone else over the kid. If ya get Marissa to sign off on it, you should be able ta get custody pretty easy.” 

Albert nodded. “I wanna do it.”

“I’ll make some calls.”

Albert turned to Jack. “What do I gotta buy? You two’s raised three babies, you know this sorta stuff.”

Jack glanced to Katherine knowingly and Katherine smiled. 

“We have Lucy’s old crib and changing table in the basement,” she said, “And probably some old clothes too, if you want them.”

Albert nodded immediately, checking things off his mental list. “Crib, changing table. Do I need like...what do I need? Bottles? How do I feed her?” 

Jack laughed a little. “She’s gonna be a formula baby, but ain’t no problems wit’ that. Corey was a formula kid too. Kath can help ya with all that as it gets closer.” 

“Okay,” Albert let a silly grin spread over his face. “Okay. I’m gonna be a dad.”

Race grinned, patting Albert’s shoulder proudly. “Yeah ya are! Welcome to the club, Daddy!”

Albert laughed, shaking his head. “Damn. This is happenin’.”

“You gotta name picked yet?” Spot asked, and Albert covered his silly smile with his hand, fighting getting emotional. 

“Annie,” he said after a minute. “My lil Annie.”

*

Albert glared at the one month old baby lying flat on the couch next to him, her big brown eyes unblinking as she held his gaze. 

“Go to sleep.” he said.

The baby whined, and Albert pointed a finger at her. 

“No,” he said, “Sleep. No cryin’.”

The infant whined again, her tiny eyes squeezing shut as she started to wail. 

“Fuck,” Albert muttered, picking her up and lying her against his shoulder. “Please sleep?”

Annie DaSilva screeched in her father’s ear. 

“Annabella DaSilva it is four in the goddamn mornin’, you gotta be at least a  _ lil _ bit tired.”

The baby squalled and screamed and Albert stood to his feet, holding the baby to his shoulder with one hand, using the other to scrub at his unshaven face. It’d been a solid month of this. Being a dad was a lot more work than he’d anticipated, a lot more poop and tears and sleep deprivation than he was prepared for, but he never regretted his decision for a second. Even when Marissa left, insisting she wanted nothing to do with her child, and told him he was making a mistake by trying to raise her, he didn’t doubt himself. He didn’t doubt it the first night he brought Annie home from the hospital, clinging to her baby carrier for dear life in the taxi cab, unable to take his eyes off the tiny sleeping pink angel strapped in tight. He didn’t doubt it when he didn’t sleep for two straight days, when he had to google how to change diapers and make baby formula, or when he nearly broke his ankle when he tripped over a box of diapers. And he didn’t doubt it now, at four am, holding the screaming infant, but he thought they’d come to an agreement. 

“I sleep, you sleep, we’re both much happier,” Albert told her, picking her up off his shoulder and holding the baby in front of his face, “Sleep is so good for humans, Annie. You an’ me need it.”

Annie’s cries slowed and she studied her father’s face, little eyes narrowing as they resumed their staring contest. 

“Bedtime,” he insisted. “Important.”

Annie squeaked, chubby face squishing into Albert’s hands. 

“We on the same page now, young lady?” Albert asked, and he took Annie’s stare as a yes. “Good. Let’s go to sleep.”

He walked back into his bedroom, setting Annie down in the crib, flicking on the mobile that Jack gave him, and collapsed in his bed on the other side of the room, face first. He cringed as Annie started screaming again and slid off the bed to stand. 

“Annie  _ please _ ,” Albert begged, lifting her in his arms again, “Please let Daddy sleep.”

Annie quieted as Albert cuddled her close to his chest and he groaned, lying down on his bed, placing the little baby on his chest. She fell asleep only moments later, and too exhausted to stand up and put her back in her crib, Albert fell asleep too, cradling his daughter against him. 

*

“Race!” Albert said frantically into his phone, “Race for the love of God please help!” 

_ “What? What is it? Oh my God are you okay? Is Annie okay?”  _

“NO! Race she’s...she’s BALDING.” 

_ “What?” _

“Oh my God this can’t be happening. She’s so young, she can’t be balding. What did I do wrong?? Is she okay? What is happening to my tiny ginger?” 

_ “I’m hanging up now.” _

“No!! Tell me what’s wrong with her!!!” 

_ “Dude, she’s not balding. Babies lose their baby fuzz, it rubs off in their cribs and stuff, she’ll grow it back.” _

“She doesn’t sleep in a crib!” Albert protested, “I woke up and found her fucking  _ bald _ in my bed,  _ what is happening _ ?”

_ “She sleeps with you? Never mind. It grows back, moron. She’s fine.” _

“You’re sure?”

_ “I’m sure. Pretty sure Lucy lost most’a her hair before it grew back in all thick an’ dark.” _

“So she’s not gonna be bald?”

_ “No.” _

“Oh thank God,” Albert looked to the baby in his lap. “Good. Good. Okay, that’s all thank you.”

_ “I’ll see ya at the studio later, idiot.” _

Albert hung up his phone and grinned at the baby, patting the bald spot at the back of her head. 

“Hear that Annie? Uncle Racer says ya ain’t gonna be bald forever. Gonna have a thick head of hair just like ya old man.”

Annie hiccuped in response and Albert smirked.

“I know right?” he hoisted her onto his shoulder and started over to her changing table, setting her down gently. “Okay baldie, let’s get ya ready.”

*

“Sorry we’re late,” Albert said as he entered the Kelly house, shifting the baby carrier on his arm, dropping the diaper bag at the door. “Got delayed.”

“MTA?” Jack asked, smirking as he heard the loud thudding of his children storming through the house to tackle Albert with hugs. 

“Ya could say that. Left Annie on a train. Had to run back an’ pry a door open, it was a whole thing.”

Jack blinked. “You  _ left her _ ?” 

“Yeah, but...she’s fine, see?” Albert handed Jack the baby carrier and six month old Annie DaSilva looked up at him through her bundles of winter clothes. Jack took the carrier and examined the baby, who was indeed fine. 

“How do ya leave ya baby on the subway?” Jack asked, and Albert shrugged. 

“I was listenin’ to a podcast.”

“Okay?”

“An’ I forgot she was right at my feet. I ain’t slept in six months, Jackie.”

“Yeah, and I ain’t slept in eleven years,” Jack said, eyeing his children as they arrived in the room to greet Albert. 

“Don’t matter though, ‘cuz I got her an’ she’s fine, an’ I’m still really good at this dad thing.”

Jack snorted, shaking his head in amusement. “That you are, pal.”

“Uncle Albert!!” Corey Kelly laughed, leaping into Albert’s waiting arms, “Can I hold Annie?” 

“Wow, not even a “hey Uncle Al, how’s ya day goin’?” just jump straight to holdin’ my baby.” 

Corey laughed, hugging his arms around Albert’s neck anyway. “So is that a yes?”

“Sure, kid, knock yaself out.” 

Jack smiled, taking Annie in the baby carrier over to the couch while Albert hugged Lucy and Pete, ruffling Pete’s hair, tugging Lucy’s braids, and lamenting about how tall Pete was getting. 

“Didja wash ya hands?” Jack asked Corey, who was waiting on the couch for a chance to hold the baby. 

“Yep!” Corey said, holding his arms out as Jack unbuckled Annie from her carrier, taking off her tiny hat and winter coat, placing her in Corey’s arms. 

“She’s so tiny,” Corey said with awe. “I love babies. Was I this tiny?” 

Jack smiled, running a hand over Corey’s dark hair. “You were. Maybe even tinier.”

“No way.” 

“You bet.”

“Woah.” Corey pressed a tiny kiss to his cousin’s forehead, and Annie giggled, giving Corey a big gummy smile. 

“She likes me!” Corey said proudly, and Jack nodded. 

“‘course she does!” he said with a laugh, “Ain’t no one out there who can resist Corey Cuddles.” 

Corey grinned with pride and looked up as Albert sat down next to him on the couch. 

“Looks like I gotta new babysitter,” Albert said, reaching a hand over to adjust Annie’s little outfit and brush a hand through her red hair. “You’re hired, Core.”

Corey grinned. “See Dad! I don’t need a babysitter no more, I can  _ be _ the babysitter!” 

“Maybe in a few years, kiddo,” Jack laughed, “Don’t get no ideas.”

Corey mock pouted, making a silly face at Annie, who gurgled a laugh, reaching her hand up to grab at Corey’s shirt. 

“Where’s Kath at?” Albert asked, wrapping around Lucy as she snuggled next to him on the Kelly’s couch. 

“On her way home,” Jack confirmed, “Ya sure ya can handle all four of these hooligans t’night?” he asked, and Albert brushed him off. 

“Jackie. How long ya known me? I can handle anythin’.”

Annie started to cry in Corey’s arms and Corey looked to Albert. “Uncle Al?” 

“Ah, don’t worry. Me an’ Miss Annie gotta system worked out now,” he said, reaching over to take Annie in his arms. He held her up, pressing his nose to Annie’s red face. “Stop.” he said firmly, and Annie stopped crying, locking eyes with her father before she started to giggle. 

“See?” Albert said, setting Annie to sit on his lap. “Good system.”

“That was...incred’bly impressive,” Jack said with awe, “How the heck didja get her ta do that?” 

Albert shrugged, looking to the three Kelly kids around him. “Ya kids don’t listen to ya like that, Jackie?” he teased, “Geez, kiddos. Listen to ya old man. My silly baby’s showin’ ya up in the respect dep’rtment.”

Jack ruffled Pete’s hair, laughing. “That’s right, kids,” he joked, “Be more like Annie, listen when I tell ya ta stop.”

Lucy pouted, hanging on Albert’s shoulder. “But Daddyyyyy, that ain’t no fun.”

“Isn’t any fun,” Jack corrected and Lucy blew a raspberry at him in response. 

“Ya don’t say it like that, Daddy.”

“You don’t,” Pete corrected, “Momma says we gotta get you accent training.”

Jack looked to Albert deadpan. “Do ya see what I gotta deal with? Betrayed, constantly, by my own children.”

Jack’s three children all laughed. 

“Aight, that’s enough, all’a you. Go finish eatin’ ya chicken nuggets ‘fore Mommy gets home or there  _ isn’t any  _ dessert for ya.”

The kids scrambled off the couch and back to the kitchen and Jack looked to Albert, who stood and held Annie in one arm like a football. 

“You got extra chicken nuggets?” Albert asked, “I ain’t eaten since lunch.”

Jack smirked, nodding toward the kitchen. “On the stove. Bon appetit.”

*

“Five, six, seven, eight!” Albert called, watching his students run through their routine again. “Lucy, point those toes, sweetheart!” 

“Yep!” Lucy Kelly confirmed, doing the same movement without the correction, and Albert sighed a little. 

“Big smiles, ya gotta look happy! You’re performin’!” Albert reminded his class as he leaned against the mirror at the front of the room watching them, holding his eight month old baby on his hip. 

“Okay!” Albert cheered, as the routine ended, “Not bad at all, ladies. I like what I’m seein’. Ya think you’ll be ready for the show in a few weeks?” 

The little girls all nodded in confirmation, squealing their excitement. 

“I think so too,” Albert agreed. “Alrighty, we’ve practiced that enough times, don’t ya think?” he asked and the girls all nodded, Lucy Kelly more dramatically than the rest. Annie shrieked in agreement and the girls giggled. “See? My co-teacher agrees. Now let’s practice some leaps. Line up behind Brooklyn over there in the corner,” Albert said, pointing with his free hand, turning to pick music while the girls scrambled to line up behind Brooklyn Higgins-Conlon, who grinned with excitement. 

Albert glanced to Annie in his arm and snorted. The baby had her entire fist in her mouth, the pacifier clipped to her dress forgotten. He adjusted the little hair clip keeping Annie’s red hair from her eyes and smirked, looking back to his class. 

“Okay, ready Bee?” he asked as he pressed play on the music and Brooklyn nodded, starting to leap across the room with ease. “Let’s see what Miss DaSilva has to say about that,” Albert said, looking at Annie, who giggled, still sucking on her fist. “I agree completely,” he said seriously. “Good work Brooklyn, make sure that back leg is straight an’ you’re golden, sweetheart. Next!”

*

Albert sighed as he crawled after his fast baby, snagging her with one arm and making her shriek indignantly. 

“I don’t think so, missy.” he teased, “You’re stayin’ right here. No playin’ with the big kids yet.”

Annie squealed in protest, trying to squirm her way out of Albert’s grasp, but he held her tight. 

“No fun for Lil’ Annie,” Race teased, where he sat next to Albert on the picnic blanket, much like they’d done a year ago, watching the kids run and play while the adults ate lunch and caught up. 

“Nope, not ever. No fun allowed.” Albert agreed, sticking his tongue out at his daughter as she struggled in his grasp. She whined at him in frustration and started to cry, but when he raised a brow in response she gave up and slumped against him, sticking her thumb in her mouth. 

“She’s gotta be the easiest goin’ baby I’ve ever seen,” Spot said, “Look how quickly she gave up fightin’ you.”

“Ten months old an’ she’s already dead inside,” Albert cooed, stroking Annie’s red hair. “I’m so damn proud.”

The adults all laughed. 

“You’s pretty good at this, Al,” Jack told his friend honestly, “I’m impressed. You an’ Annie are a match made in heaven.”

“I think she might be my best friend,” Albert said, “Which is pathetic, because she’s a baby, an’ I’m an adult.” 

Race snorted, “Oh man, losin’ my friendship status to a baby.”

“I  _ know _ I’m  _ her _ best friend, look at her. She’s got nothin’ without me.”

“She’s got us,” Katherine cooed, reaching over to play with Annie’s hands, “Right Annie?”

Annie giggled, grabbing at Katherine excitedly, and Albert shook his head. 

“How dare you?” he asked his baby, “My best friend?” he held her up to look in her face, and she pouted as Katherine’s hands were pulled from her grip. “Your betrayal hurts, Annabella.”

“Annabella?” Jack asked, “Is that her full name?” 

Albert didn’t break eye contact with his daughter. “Yep. She just got full-named. That’s how much trouble she’s in.”

Katherine laughed as she stood, shaking her head. “You two are something else,” she stretched and gestured for Race to follow her. “Come on Tony, let’s go round up our best friends, it’s going to take some convincing.”

“I’ll help ya pack the car, Spotty,” Jack offered, and Spot nodded. “Al you wanna hold down the fort here?”

“Not lose our picnic blanket? Sure thing. I need to lecture my daughter on the meanin’ of friendship anyway.”

Jack and Spot both laughed as they started to Spot’s car, cooler, leftovers and other picnic supplies in hand. Albert laid back on the picnic blanket and laid Annie down next to him, looking to her seriously.

“Hey, guess what?” he said, and Annie looked to him curiously, sucking on her thumb contentedly. “I became a dad a year ago, right here. In this exact spot.”

Annie continued to suck her thumb, brown eyes blinking as she looked at her dad. 

“But Daddy, I’m only ten months! I ain’t a year old yet!” Albert said in a high pitched voice, and shook his head. “Oh Annie. I became a dad long before you popped out. I was sittin’ right here, wit’ Auntie Kath an’ Uncle Jack an’ Uncle Race an’ Uncle Spot an’ I decided I wanted to keep you. An’ just like that, I became a dad,” he stroked Annie’s hair, smiling his sideways grin at her. “I can’t imagine my life without ya, baby girl. I’m real glad that I didn’t let ya go.”

Annie giggled, reaching her slobbery hand out to touch Albert’s face, and he made a face at her. 

“Disgusting. Put your hand back in your mouth where it belongs.” 

Annie giggled again and obeyed, sticking her fingers in her mouth and babbling at Albert, who sighed and closed his eyes, laying flat on the blanket next to his daughter. 

“Hey, Al?” Race’s voice asked from above him, and Albert’s eyes popped open. 

“Can I help you?”

“What are ya doin’?”

“Havin’ a heartfelt moment wit’ my daughter.” Albert said simply, and Race smirked. 

“Your heartfelt moment’s crawlin’ away.” 

“Shit!” Albert scrambled to stand, “Annie!” he tore off in the direction of his rather quick daughter, who was making her way down a hill and dangerously close to tumbling forward. He ran over to her and scooped her in his arms and shook his head. 

“Way to ruin the moment, young lady,” He teased, but covered her face in kisses, making her giggle. “Got her!” he called to Race, who shook his head in amusement, hoisting his own daughter up on his back higher. 

“Daddadadadada!” Annie babbled, reaching her hands toward Albert’s face. Albert looked down at her and narrowed his eyes. 

“Me? Daddy?” he questioned.

“Dadadada!” Annie confirmed, grabbing at his chin. 

Albert’s smile was contagious. “It’s about time you use my name,” he said flatly despite his smile, “Finally.”

Annie giggled, Albert’s favorite sound in the world. He hugged her to his chest as he walked back over to his friends, kissing Annie’s head. 

“Love you, Annie-girl,” he told her, feeling the warmth in his chest at her saying da-da to him grow. “Love you more than I thought was possible.”

*

**Author's Note:**

> Albert's parenting style is very...unique, but he loves his little girl more than anything in the world!!
> 
> Sidenotes:  
> -Marissa and Al had an on-again/off-again relationship for almost 6 months by the time Annie is conceived. He's ready to take their relationship seriously and commit, she isn't, so they decide to split up for good and put the baby up for adoption when she's born, but that clearly isn't how it goes down. She's not involved in Annie's life.  
> -This takes place roughly two years before Summertime Feelin' does, Annie has an August birthday and will be 2 by the end of the Summertime Feelin' summer!  
> -I'm highkey obsessed with these two.
> 
> Thank you for reading!! I'd love to hear your thoughts!!
> 
> Tumblr: @gracetrack-higgins


End file.
